Life Finds a Way: Colossal Biosciences Achieves First De-Extinction with Dire Wolves, Not Dinosaurs
While the comparison to Jurassic Park is inevitable for any de-extinction venture, Colossal Biosciences has achieved something both more practical and potentially more beneficial: bringing back the dire wolf. These species vanished from North America approximately 12,500 years ago. Unlike the fictional scenario where dinosaur DNA was extracted from amber-preserved mosquitoes, Colossal’s approach is grounded in rigorous science and focused on species that went extinct relatively recently.
“You can’t bring back dinosaurs. There’s no dino DNA. It doesn’t last 65 million years. Amber is a terrible vessel for DNA,” explained Ben Lamm, Colossal’s CEO, in a recent interview. This practical limitation has guided the company to focus on species with readily available genetic material and ecological relevance to the modern world.
The dire wolf, made famous in popular culture through Game of Thrones, represents a scientifically significant choice for the world’s first successful de-extinction. Using DNA extracted from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull, Colossal’s scientists identified critical genetic differences between dire wolves and their closest living relatives, gray wolves. Through precise genetic engineering, they recreated these traits in modern wolf cells, eventually producing three healthy pups: Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi.
Unlike the cautionary tale portrayed in Michael Crichton’s fictional universe, Colossal’s approach includes comprehensive safety measures. The company’s dire wolves reside in a secure 2,000-acre facility with zoo-grade fencing, constant monitoring, and oversight from wildlife specialists. This controlled environment allows scientists to study the animals’ development while ensuring they don’t disrupt existing ecosystems.
The scientific breakthrough has broader implications beyond bringing back a single charismatic species. The same technologies that enabled dire wolf de-extinction are being applied to conservation efforts for critically endangered species, including the North American red wolf. Colossal has already cloned several red wolves, potentially increasing the genetic diversity of a species with fewer than 25 individuals remaining in the wild.
“When we found out that we had singleton puppies in each of those litters eventually, that was maybe not the optimal outcome, but it’s pretty optimal,” said Matt James, Colossal’s chief animal officer. “We didn’t want to have 25 dire wolves on our hands, right suddenly? That would have been hard to manage.”
For Colossal Biosciences, the dire wolf represents just the beginning of their ambitious de-extinction agenda. The company continues to work on projects to resurrect the woolly mammoth, dodo bird, and Tasmanian tiger, each selected for their ecological significance and potential to restore lost biodiversity to damaged ecosystems.
